Richard James was a Human Starfleet officer in the mid-24th century.

As an admiral, he was listed as Starfleet Operations personnel on the dedication plaque of the starship USS Brattain. (TNG: "Night Terrors")

In 2353, James was listed on a directory placard as having an office in room 35258 on Starbase 32. (TNG: "Violations")

He was part of the Engineering Group which helped design and construct the USS Enterprise-D. His name, with the title of captain, was listed on the dedication plaque of that vessel when it was commissioned in 2363. (Star Trek: The Next Generation set artwork)

In 2365, he was the commanding officer of the USS Constantinople. (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man")